John Spangler Nicholas Prize for Outstanding Doctoral Candidate in Biology, Yale University

2011

One Hundred Talent Program, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Excellence in Final Evaluation, 2015)

2013

NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund

2015

National Program for Support of Top-Notch Young Professionals

In the Jiao Lab, we focus on two related questions: (1) How do new shoot meristems initiate to enable shoot branching? (2) How does the stem cell-harboring shoot apical meristem (SAM) interplays with lateral organs derived from the SAM? Our studies involve a combination of transcriptome analysis, live-imaging, molecular genetics, large-scale functional approaches, and computational modeling. In parallel, we develop new methods for cell type-specific transcriptome analysis.

Axillary Meristem Initiation. In higher plants, shoot branching depends on the initiation of axillary meristems (AMs). AMs develop from stem cells in the adaxial side of the subtending leaf axil and give rise to branches. Understanding AM initiation may help in the elucidation of stem cell maintenance and differentiation, a long lasting question in biology. In addition, AM activity has long been a target of breeding selection because it significantly affects crop yield by influencing both tiller and spike number and spike branching complexity.

Interplay between the Shoot Apical Meristem and Lateral Organs. Plants maintain meristems with undifferentiated stem cells, which are responsible for the life-long organogenesis of growing plants. The SAM gives rise to lateral organs, such as leaves. It has long been proposed that the SAM and lateral organs regulate each other through long distance signaling: SAM produces (Sussex) signal affecting leaf patterning, and lateral organs provide feedback to stem cells by affecting SAM size and organization. Our finding suggests that polar auxin transport contributes to the long-distance coordination of patterning.

Cell type-specific transcriptome profiling. The development and function of plant tissues relies on constant interactions among distinct and nonequivalent cell types. To understand how cells work and how they interface with the environment, it is essential to acquire quantitative information on transcriptomes at cellular resolution. We have developed novel high-throughput technologies to profile cell-specific transcriptome and translatome, i.e. all translating transcripts. Using flower development as a model system, we attempt to profile key cell types at high spatiotemporal resolution. A cell transcriptome atlas can aid in the formulation and validation of interaction and pathway networks by providing evidence of the coexpression of potential pathway members and by identifying new connections among regulatory genes.